Chapter 2337: Team Combat
Chapter 2337: Team Combat
Sam paused and just looked at her for a moment before asking.
"Why are you so adamant about making me participate? I am sure I never gave any mixed signals about it. I was pretty clear that I didn't want to participate."
Dove also paused and spoke after a sigh.
"You... you are the spark that the Gambler academy needed and I want you to burn as brightly as possible at the moment."
"What?" Sam is surprised.
"You heard me right. I am sure you have observed the Gambler academy and understand it very well. It has everything that one could ask for the growth of a cultivator. Its reluctant attitude to be a part of the prestige fights of the academy realm, their freedom for the students, their lack of desire for power over other academies.
It just lessened the pressure and made the gambler academy students prosper for generations. However, on the way, the gambler academy students kind of grew a bit too complacent and lax. There are of course some students who followed the footsteps of the old generations and strived to improve. But the majority of them are just taking this academy as the safety net.
They are looking at the other academies, where the students have to strive to prove that their existences are worth it, the students trying to ensure that they can spend another month in the academy, but here they have all the freedom they can think of to research whatever.
They are using this as an excuse to stay mediocre.
The strive for excellence has vaned. And then came you...
Gambler academy has long since been thrown to the back of the mind for most of the other academies. But you brought the spotlight back and made everyone conscious.
You might have put a lot of pressure on your peers, however this spot light made them strive for more as they didn't want to be the one who brings shame to the academy. I like the current direction the students are going in.
And I need you to make sure that they stay in that path without straying."
"So, you are using me."
"You got a problem with that?"
"No, not really. But still, if they really resonate with my actions, they are going get in more trouble. I doubt you would like that."
"Its fine. As long as there are results, Gambler academy is not afraid of attracting more trouble. I just want them to strive for a bit more excellence.
This time, you shook the rankings of the academy. The Gambler academy which usually stayed in top twenties or thirties, will now climb higher. I need you to make it rank higher. And attract as much attention as possible.
Once gambler academy and you are in spot light, you will be targeted of course, however the Gambler academy will abide by its policy and defend you.
At least this time they will not just think that they are forced to do it. They will just be defending the contributor for their rankings and the issue would just be the other academies targeting their contributor.
I need that kind of unity in the academy at the moment."
"Why?" Sam asked.
She frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean, Why? Isn't that the necessary atmosphere for an academy that's looking for growth?"
"I am not asking about that. Why now? You have been in academy for a while. Don't tell me that you are not capable of attracting attention like I did. I have seen the performance of the fourth graders. You guys are more than capable.
You could have done this as soon as you joined the academy.
Why me? Why now?"
"I don't know. Even though were quite a hateful bunch ourselves, we never managed to ignite the conflict like you did.
So, I am just going to use you now. Anyway, I am sure this is a small repayment for defending you against the whole academy realm."
"The whole academy realm has yet to attack."
"From the way you are going, it won't be long."
Sam thought for a moment and said.
"Sure, but I will only stick with Crow. I am sure Rashma can handle herself quite well."
"She sure can. I will let them know."
Sam looked at her for a couple of minutes.
"Why are you not leaving?"
"I am eating." She kept on munching on his food.
Sam ignored her and focused on his recovery. The details of the team battle are not out yet. Sam decided to just wait in his room.
That night and the next day passed quietly. Maybe because of Sam's absence in the city streets, it felt very peaceful.
The day of the competition, Sam walked through the destroyed streets. In these streets, second graders, third graders and fourth graders, all of them fought to take each other's lives. However, more than half of the destruction is actually caused by him as he hunted down the second graders.
He felt a little proud of himself.
He arrived at the Thor academy and went to the Open-air auditorium. Olaf stood on the stage as he looked down at the competitors standing in the teams of three.
"The final competition of this year's second grade Academy tournament. The team battle.
Just like every other year, this one will also be a royal rumble. A free for all contest of might and wit.
You will be sent to a special space in a while. A pocket dimension that has been recently acquired by the Hel academy. And this time there are some special rules.
Because this could be the year in which the team competition might not have a definite winner. For a team to even qualify being a winner, at least one member of your team should spend in that space for twenty-four hours.
If all of you are eliminated before twenty-four hours, or decide to quit unable to endure the atmosphere inside, then you are out. This year will go with no one getting a win in this
competition.
The competition still goes on even after the twenty four hours, if more than one team is present in the space.
There are no rules, except for obviously special and overpowered artefacts. You can use the formations, inscriptions, puppets, curses, poisons, traps, ambushes, beasts. It doesn't matter what means you use. You can kill your opponents or cripple them. You will not be held liable. Unless the members of only one team remains in that space, the competition will go on forever.
I am sure, I am direct enough with this, so I am hoping no one has any questions. But if you do, this is the time to ask them."
There is just a glaring silence.
He then snapped his fingers. The whole open-air auditorium lit up with its formation. A bunch of tokens flew out of nowhere and attached themselves to the candidates. One for each. And each team has an identical token.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
A spatial force surrounded them and pulled them away from that place.
Sam let himself go.
Soon, he felt gravity again. Then, came a huff of death energy. More intense than any death energy he ever felt. His vision cleared and he found himself in the middle of nowhere. His vampire part became extremely rampant. He is surrounded by a bunch of rocks, and dead trees. The land is a patch of grey and black. Even the winds appeared darker than usual, if they had any color. The sky seemed to represent the darkest night he has ever witnessed and in
that's sky, there are no stars.
Only occasional grey cloud and the bright red moon that is glowing in the middle.
The whole area is faintly lit by that glowing red moon, adding a bloody share to everything.
The death energy is pure, but also different. Forgetting about his vampire part, even the beast bloodlines inside him are a bit too active. Maybe because of the bloodlust induced by the energy. Anyone who spends enough time here, they will definitely go crazy and start a killing
spree.
He knows that he would like to.
He couldn't see anything but that wasteland in the horizon.
He let his vampire side take in the death aura. It makes a great cultivation ground for the
undead type creatures and he decided to take advantage of it. He took out Harbinger and
started moving. Just when he moved around three feet...
Something suddenly came out of the ground from behind and caught the back of the harbinger. Sam halted and looked back with a frown.
He saw a massive skeletal hand protruding out of the ground. The fingers holding the back of
the harbinger.
He activated energy vision to check what it is. He followed the energy surrounding the bones
of the arm. It went into the ground and took shape of a gigantic humanoid form. A skeleton that is struggling to get of the soil as it held Sam in his place.